The next night, it was dark, Mona was supposed to be asleep, but was drawing the stars when all of a sudden she saw a boat pull up to Pearly Beetle in the light of the moon.  In the moonlight she could see a thin, tall figure like a bittern climb out of his boat and trudge up the slope of Pearly Beetle Island.  Mona recognized his figure and drew back the curtains. Nanny’s clop sounded on the stairs after Mona heard several knocks on the front door.  Mona waited and tip-toed downstairs.  From the first landing, Mona saw Nanny stood with the man in the parlor.  She could hear them.

​

“…just to warn you.”  The man was saying.  Mona’s heart gave a leap.  She had recognized the fisherman as the Bringer of Bad News.  Sea lore was rich in the history of the Bringer of Bad News.  He had come to Pearly Beetle before.  Once before a ship and another time before a terrible storm.  It was no mystery how he recognized the signs of disaster on the waves.  Mona, and most others recognized them, but he could see them long before anyone else.  It sent shivers down her spine to guess he had come the night before her parents died.  Nanny had been on Pearly Beetle with her that night.  She would have to ask her about that later.

​

“When?”  Nanny asked the Bringer of Bad News.    

“Two nights hence,” said the fisherman, “maybe even tomorrow.  This is a hard storm to read.”

“Have you told anyone on the mainland?” Nanny asked. 

“I am sworn only to help those living at sea,” said the man.  Mona nodded.  She might have been scared of the fisherman, but they stood together in one opinion.  Nanny sighed.

“I’ll warn them then,” she said. 

Mona did not think that was the way to talk to the Bringer of Bad News.  If the mainlanders could not recognize disaster, then it was not the Bringer of Bad News’ fault.  Didn’t mainlanders have fortune tellers and meteorologists?

​

“Do as you wish,” the man said in a tone, which implied what Mona felt. “I’ll be going now.” 

He lifted his hat and was gone.  As the front door shut, Mona ran upstairs.  She did not want to be caught eavesdropping when she was supposed to be asleep.  As she climbed into bed, she thought about Miss Cane, Mr. Easton, and that kind candy store clerk.  She knew then that Nanny was right.  They should be warned too.  She hoped they wouldn’t be in any danger.  The Bringer of Bad News had brought safety and security to Pearly Beetle, but on occasion, Mona remembered, even he was too late. 

​

Mona awoke to find Mr. Hurston instead of Nanny in the kitchen.  Nanny had set out for the mainland early and asked Mr. Hurston to watch out for guests and to feed Mona.  Lucie, Sicily, and Prince Edward were there too, and they all ate gull eggs and toast with serviceberry jam. 

“He visited us too,” Lucie said.  She dipped some toast in egg and whispered, “Who was he?” 

“The Bringer of Bad News.  Everyone knows that,” said Sicily, before Mona could say anything.  Lucie and Mona turned to Sicily, very surprised. 

“How’d you know?” said Mona.

“Father started writing a story about him after he came.” said Sicily, “Awfully dreary person, that Bad News fisherman, if you ask me.”

 

Mona wanted to roll her eyes, but didn’t.  When Nanny returned from the mainland, she hung her coat on the rack and turned to Mr. Hurston, who stood in the hall.  Everyone had assembled to hear what Nanny had to say.

 “How was the mainland?” said Mr. Hurston as he pulled on his slicker.

“They weren’t prepared for the storm that’s coming.  Hopefully, now they will be,” said Nanny and turned, “Mona Dear, do wear the slicker and new boots I brought you.  You’ll go with Mr. Hurston to dock the houseboat.  The Hurstons will be staying here while the storm lasts.”

 

Nanny held out a small, ugly yellow thing and two homely green things.  Mona took the new clothes with a frown, but thrilled at Nanny’s words.  She didn’t like the idea of going to the harbor or of a storm, but she liked the weight of responsibility.  The other girls’ arms were folded and both their mouths were curved into pouts.  Mona was amused to find, for the first time, the sisters resembled one another.  Prince Edward didn’t care to dock the boat.  He continued to play with some toys he’d brought over.  He was content to stay at Pearly Beetle.  His head touched the floor as he pushed a wooden train. 

​

“Mona, get ready.  I need to discuss a few things with Mr. Hurston,” said Nanny.

“Why do you get to go?” Sicily asked Mona as the adults talked in the other room. 

“Probably because it’ll be way more fun to go to the Blackberry Isles to get supplies before the storm than dock a boat.”  Mona let out a big sigh to show that she would much rather go to the Blackberry Isles.  Sicily and Lucie looked pacified.

“What sorts of things do we get from there?” asked Lucie.

“We’ll need lots of stuff we’ve gotten together before.  Elderberries and burdock roots, Lucie.  Sicily, can you get jewelweed?  It’s always useful for swelling, bumps, or burns and you know what it looks like now.  There is some on the littlest Blackberry Isle.”  Mona knew they had plenty of supplies on Pearly Beetle, but she also knew the best way to make others feel better is to make them feel useful.  She had learned that from Nanny.  Both girls nodded.

​

“Good, you’d best head out quick,” said Mona.  Nanny turned her head as the two girls walked through the front door, but since Mona winked at her, she said nothing.

“What are you girls doing?” called Mr. Hurston.  He hadn’t seen the wink. 

“We’re stocking up Pearly Beetle,” said Lucie as she shut the door.  Nanny smiled.  She understood why the girls were going.  Mr. Hurston looked perplexed, but didn’t say anything.

“We’d best be going, Mona,” said Mr. Hurston.    Through the open door, Mona hung back a minute after he had started down the winding path.

​

“Does that mean the Hurstons are moving in?” asked Mona.

“Only if this means you’ve decided to go to school ashore,” said Nanny.  Mona shook her head and shut the door.  The mainland no longer scared her, and she liked some mainlanders after all, but she was not ready to go to school there.  They took the small craft belonging to the Hurstons back to the Hurstons’ larger boat, since Lucie and Sicily had taken the Leviathan.  Neither spoke as they climbed aboard.  The sky had turned from blue to black.  It started to rain.  Together they steered the boat to shore.  The rain was heavy, but not terrible yet, as they reached the harbor and docked with relative ease. 

​

They climbed into the small boat they’d brought and shoved off.  The rain was worse on the return trip.  Waves slobbered Mr. Hurston and Mona.  They were thoroughly soaked.  As Mona rowed with all her strength, she noticed Mr. Hurston did not control his oar as he should.  She said nothing, but strained harder with her own.  She was glad Nanny had her go with Mr. Hurston.  He was not a seaman.  The water was green, a green Mona had never seen before, and she knew they were in for a bad storm.  They could barely see where they were going, the spray foamed up in their eyes like a rabid dog.  Mona was scared.  Another wave hit them, but then, just then she saw Pearly Beetle like a beacon of light.  She looked down again, rowed as hard as she could,  and did not look up again until Mr. Hurston yelled  that Pearly Beetle was at last upon them. 

 

“What will we do with the boat?” yelled Mr. Hurston above the roar of the waves. 

“Tie it here next to the Leviathan for now, and hope for the best,” said Mona.  She noticed another boat tied next to the Leviathan that she didn’t recognize, but wasn’t curious.  Her heart was in her throat.  The Leviathan was her grandfather’s boat and it would likely be smashed to pieces.  She turned away from it, as her hair blew wildly about her.  Mr. Hurston held the rope down as she fastened the knot to an extra peg and they climbed up to the house. 

​

“Thank goodness,” said Mr. Hurston as he shut the door behind Mona.  Both she and Mr. Hurston were wild-eyed and soaked.  Good, kind Nanny handed them towels.  Mona looked around.  While they had been gone, Nanny had fastened the storm windows and protected the furniture as best she could. 

“Look, Mona,” said Lucie.  Her hands and arms dripped with mud, but she held up a number of fine-looking burdock roots and a basket full of elderberries.  Sicily held up a jar full of jewelweed.

“Great,” said Mona, “we can use these.”

“Who’s here by the way?”  Mona remembered the mystery boat.

“Fishermen from far away.  Their ship is beached at the Blackberry Isles,” said Nanny.

“The others are already in the basement,” she added.  “Girls, please carry those supplies down.  Is everyone ready?” 

​

Everyone nodded.  Nanny flipped the light switch, and then the Hurstons, Manx, and Mona followed Nanny into the cellar.

 “Oh, listen to me very carefully, everyone,” said Nanny as she turned around on the first step, “under no circumstance whatsoever should you go upstairs, except to use the bathroom off the kitchen.”

“Why?” said Mona.

“Because if you go upstairs during a storm like this there is a good chance you will die,” said Nanny, she turned back around and maneuvered the box of candles she carried around the top of the stairs.

​